Understanding Why Many Companies Downgraded Their EcoVadis Medals
If your company’s EcoVadis medal dropped this year, take a breath. It likely wasn’t a performance failure. Over the past two assessment cycles, EcoVadis has introduced fundamental methodology changes that have reshaped how medals are awarded across its network. The result? Companies with stable or even improving raw scores are watching their medals slide from Platinum to Silver, Gold to Bronze, or off the podium entirely. The frustration is understandable.
At Veerless, we’ve heard from clients, peers, and partners across industries who are asking the same questions: What changed? Why did our medal drop when our score went up? And is EcoVadis still the right investment?
These are fair questions. Here is what’s happening, and what it means for your sustainability strategy going forward. For a short breakdown, download our two-pager “The Sheet,” outlining the methodology changes and immediate actions you can take to move the needle back in the right direction.
30,000 New Companies Joined. The Curve Shifted.
Let’s start with the math: EcoVadis now assesses over 150,000 companies globally, with roughly 30,000 new companies joining the platform each year. That’s a massive and constantly shifting dataset. As of 2024, medals are no longer based on fixed scores. They’re based on percentile ranking, and where you stand relative to every other company. Think of it this way: in 2023, if your company scored a 61, you earned a Silver medal. In 2025, that same score might land you a Bronze simply because the pool of companies around you got better, grew larger, or both.
That shift from absolute scoring to percentile ranking is the single biggest driver behind today’s medal volatility.
Will This Methodology Hold Up?
We’re asking this question at Veerless, and we’ll be candid about our concerns.
The percentile model works well when there’s wide variation in the pool, when some companies are just getting started, and others are far ahead. In that environment, a percentile rank is a meaningful differentiator. But what happens as the network matures?
As companies invest in ESG program development, data infrastructure, third-party audits, and stakeholder engagement and still see their medals stagnate or decline because their peers are making the same investments at the same pace, interest will wane. When the entire curve shifts upward, the top percentiles become an increasingly narrow window. The difference between a Gold and a Silver could come down to whether you published one additional policy document or whether your procurement team completed a training module before the assessment window closed.
At some point, the system risks rewarding marginal documentation over meaningful performance. That’s a problem. Companies use these medals in investor presentations, customer proposals, and public communications. When the medal stops reflecting the substance of the work, trust erodes. We also have questions about the interplay between new entrants and established companies. When 30,000 new companies join the platform each year (many at the request of supply chain partners and many with relatively low initial scores) they temporarily inflate the curve. But as those companies improve (and they do, quickly), the curve tightens again. That volatility has less to do with your individual performance and more to do with the composition of the network at any given moment.
None of this means EcoVadis is without value. The platform drives real improvement in corporate sustainability practices. The assessment process forces discipline: data collection, policy development, documentation rigor. But companies need to understand what a medal represents in this new reality and plan accordingly.
So, What Should You Do?
First, take a breath. A medal change driven by methodology shifts is not the same as a performance failure. Most stakeholders understand that distinction, especially if you explain it clearly and proactively. Here’s what we’re recommending to our clients right now:
Lead with transparency. If your raw score improved, say so. If your medal dropped due to methodology changes, explain it. The organizations that earn the most credibility in ESG are the ones that show their work—especially when the results aren’t perfect. In an era of anti-greenwashing enforcement, the reputational risk of perceived concealment is far greater than the cost of a lower medal accompanied by a clear explanation.
Build a buffer. If you’re continuing with EcoVadis, set your target score 5–6 points above the current threshold for your desired medal. The thresholds will rise next year. Plan for it.
Diversify your reporting portfolio. EcoVadis is a rating platform with proprietary methodology. Transparent disclosure frameworks like GRI, SASB/ISSB, and CSRD/ESRS give you more control over your narrative because you define the disclosure. Many organizations are maintaining their EcoVadis assessment while building complementary reporting—and much of the data overlaps.
Don’t go quiet. The worst response to a medal change is silence. If your EcoVadis score was previously public and suddenly disappears, stakeholders will notice—and they’ll draw their own conclusions. Prepare your messaging now, whether for your website, your ESG report, or one-on-one conversations with key partners.
The Bigger Picture
Your sustainability story is bigger than any single medal. EcoVadis is one data point in a much larger picture of how your organization manages its environmental, social, and governance responsibilities. The methodology change is real and well-documented. Your frustration is valid. But the companies that come out of this moment strongest will be the ones that use it as an opportunity to demonstrate exactly what good ESG practice looks like: transparency, accountability, and a plan for continuous improvement.